


A Concerned Lesson

by AParticularlyLargeBear



Series: Lessons [7]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst, Gen, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-31 05:21:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8565586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AParticularlyLargeBear/pseuds/AParticularlyLargeBear
Summary: Severa might not be the best choice to try and coax somebody out of their room.





	

**Author's Note:**

> CW Self harm. Mostly non-graphic but heavily implied and at one stage explicitly spelled out.

"Kjelle."

No answer.

"Kjelle!"

A set of thumps on the door, which remained stubbornly closed. Severa glowered at it.

"Kjelle! Open the door!"

For Naga's sake. Why had this been left to  _her_ , anyway? Like Severa somehow had nothing better to do than try to drag Kjelle out of her room like a mopey teenager.

Severa pounded the wood with her fist, and then scowled. Okay so she  _was_ a teenager, but did she have to be so  _teenaged_ about it? Grow up, already!

"Kje-"

The door opened, just a crack. Severa's knock missed slightly and she smacked her knuckles into the metal binding on the door. Ow!

"What do you want, Severa?" Kjelle's voice muttered. She was stood the entire way into the room. Severa couldn't even see her.

Fuming, Severa clutched her throbbing hand. " _I_ don't want anything, but-"

"Then go away," Kjelle made to close the door. Severa stopped it with her outstretched palm.

"Hey! I wasn't finished!"

"I'm not here for you to rant at. Either get to the point or buzz off."

Severa's cheeks heated up with a mixture of outrage and embarrassment. "Our  _friends_ were worried that you've been locked in your room for a week!"

"I can't be by myself?"

"Oh quit being pedantic! You know damn well you've been hiding away!"

There was a growl of frustration from within, a glimpse of blonde hair as Kjelle peaked around the edge of the door. "Severa..."

Hands on hips, Severa glared back. "Look, I couldn't care less about you sulking, but everyone else does."

"They cared so much they sent you," Kjelle shot back sardonically.

Severa scoffed. "Nobody sent me. I came because none of them were going to. They didn't want to hurt your feelings," even freaking iceman Gerome had been reluctant to go and talk to Kjelle, although that was probably just because it would have required actual human contact.

It wasn't like  _Severa_ was worried. If Kjelle wanted to skip meals and miss training and not speak to anyone and spend all her time doing gods-knows-what that was uh...

Y-yeah.

Her business. Kjelle was fine.

"And you found it hard, but just powered right on through it."

"Please," Severa pushed at the door. It didn't budge. "Whining doesn't suit you, Kjelle."

"Well  _you'd_ know."

Severa laughed, because if she didn't laugh she would be punching her. "Point is, we've come this far already, you're being ridiculous about nothi-"

"Because  _you're_ getting along so great with  _your_ mom?"

Severa's breath hitched. "You leave my mother out of this!" she snapped. That was a low blow, and Kjelle knew it.

Suddenly the door pulled violently inward, and leaning against it, Severa stumbled. Kjelle was framed there. 

She looked like  _crap._

Pale. Drawn. Out of her armour. Her hair was hanging lank and lifeless.

Dammit.  _Dammit_. This was bad.  _Could_ be bad.

"I don't recognise my own mother, Severa."

The frustration bubbled straight back up again. "So what? People change!  _My_ mom is still hung up on freaking Chrom!"

"Though you said not to mention her."

"Shut up, Kjelle."

Kjelle snorted and folded her arms. "Imagine if you came back and your dad talked like a gentleman and suddenly had perfect table manners."

"What's wrong with how my dad talks?" Severa said defensively. The table manners, well, Kjelle had a point there...

Kjelle raised an eyebrow.

"He talks  _fine!"_ Severa muttered. Jerk. Maybe her dad  _did_ drop words here and there, but it wasn't fair for Kjelle to bring him up.

"That... isn't the point, Severa."

"Yeah, well you aren't getting it! Do you know how it looks, when you do this?"

"I guess you'll be telling me."

Severa hesitated. "We- I mean, they..." she trailed off and sighed softly. "Kjelle, we..."

Godsdammit. She was choking on her own words. She didn't want to discuss this. Not with  _strong_ and  _sturdy_ Kjelle, who'd sooner headbutt her way through a brick wall than admit defeat.

Kjelle was frowning now. "Severa, make some sense. What are you saying?"

Wordlessly, Severa turned her arm over and pulled back her sleeve. Scars, white and shining, crisscrossed her forearm from wrist to elbow. Kjelle made a noise that was the closest Severa had heard to her gasping. Severa looked back up at her. She looked sick.

"Severa, what...?"

"You get why we're worried, now?" Severa's ears were ringing blankly. She felt cold. Her eyes kept being drawn back down, but stubbornly, she averted her gaze. She didn't need yet another reminder of how  _imperfect_ she was, of how  _weak_ she'd been.

"I... I never knew that you-" Kjelle had her arms hugging around her abdomen, as if in comfort.

"Forget it," Severa cut her off, jerked her sleeve back. Sounds, muted, washed back into full volume "I don't want sympathy."

"But Severa-"

"I _said_ forget it!" she snapped. Ugh. Showing her had been a mistake. "I had to get the point into that thick skull of yours somehow!"

Kjelle looked stung. Severa folded her arms.

Neither of them said anything for a long few seconds.

"Severa, tell them that I just need some time, okay?"

"Depends. Are you gonna stay barricaded in here?"

"Yes."

Severa narrowed her eyes. Kjelle went on.

"But I'll make sure I'm coming out for meals. Just... don't crowd me."

 "That'll do. I guess."

Severa swung away, swallowing hard. Idiot. Her and Kjelle both. Idiots. 

"Severa!"

She twisted back. "What?"

Kjelle looked almost vulnerable. "Thanks. And thanks for trusting me."

Severa felt the words like a hammer to the chest. 

"Yeah. Whatever," she muttered.

She hadn't been worried. Kjelle was strong. Kjelle would never...

Severa's hand snaked across herself, clinging tight to the opposite forearm. It burned.

She was better than that. Than her. 

She screwed up her face, let out a shaky breath.

But there was tough and then there was  _tough_. She'd had to check. She'd had to. 

_Blood welling up against the bladetip._

Maybe one day, Severa would be good enough.

For today though, Kjelle was safe. That'd have to do.

Severa clenched her fist tightly.

No. It  _would_ do.


End file.
